Copyright 2017, Bored Feet Press

Gold Fever, Part TwoSan Francisco 1851-1852

Ken Salter

The follow up to last year’s excellent historical novel continues the adventures of Pierre and Manon Dubois, a French couple who travelled to San Francisco and Northern California in 1851, arriving when The City was at its most chaotic and treacherous state of development.

After San Francisco has suffered two disastrous arson fires in a span of six weeks, merchants and residents have organized the Committee of Vigilance to arrest, try, and hang the arsonists and all the other cutthroats, villains and armed criminals who make The City a dangerous, lawless den of inequity and vice. The Governor, his cronies, and the corrupt city and county officials are determined to rein in the Committee even if it means civil war.

Pierre and Manon must carefully negotiate their way through the minefield of warring factions, treacherous streets, and from the competition of the boatloads of new immigrants, jezebels and fortune hunters arriving weekly. The City is still a ruthless man’s world where Yankee men control commerce, bribe juries and customs officials, and deport foreign immigrants at will. Can Manon realize her dream to own and run a high-end French restaurant employing women chefs in competition with the established male-owned and staffed eateries? Can Pierre establish a viable notary and private detective agency in this chaotic environment? Can Manon’s women partners and employees prevail in their careers in this still lawless town with over 2000 saloons, innumerable gambling houses, fancy bordellos and sex slave cribs? This is the second part of a three part series.

“…deftly written historical novel... in which the author pays close attention to getting the background details right. The result is a riveting, entertaining novel from first page to last. Very highly recommended reading.”–– Midwest Book Review